April 5, 2025 - Almsgiving and Christian charity

Almsgiving is something that most people understand to the original definition, but they don't really get why or the meaning inside as far as what purpose it serves in God's plan. The definition according to the Greeks, Ili bon sine. Which means pity, mercy, and compassion. Catholicism brings up almsgiving in lieu of the poor and the needy. But who are the poor and the needy?

MC: Adam Hohn

Parochial Vicar: Tyler Arens

Presenter: Brian Fetzer

Deacon: Rick Freedberg

Brought to you By: The Knights of Columbus

participantOne:(0-11059): with a prayer from Father Tyler. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Heavenly Father, we give you thanks and praise for the gift of this day, especially as we

participantOne:(12600-43300): carry out our Lenten practices in these last couple of weeks of Lent, Lord, we turn to you with humble, contrite hearts. We seek your mercy. Give us a greater sense of our need for you. Help us to grow in dependency on you, Lord. We stop relying on ourselves and our own strength, especially in our areas of weakness. We turn to you to fill those areas of weakness with your strength. Lord, as we journey with you closer and closer to the cross, help us to remember that we're bringing all our own...

participantOne:(43699-74520): weaknesses, our past sins, our areas were turned away from you, with you to the cross to be crucified and die with you so that we may rise to new life with you in the resurrection. Turn to Our Lady, especially on the Saturday, who was closest to you, especially at the cross. We go to you, Jesus, through your Mother. We ask Mary to pray for us now. As we pray, Hail Mary. Full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

participantOne:(75560-101460): Mary mother of God in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit right gentlemen welcome to the first Saturday this month's kind of interesting we'll meet next week but the following week is this holy Saturday so we did last year we didn't meet during

participantOne:(102040-136200): their Easter Triduum so keep that in mind as you're inviting men to CORE. We'll be here next week, that weekend of Easter. So a little bit different setup with the Curcio happening this morning so for those who don't know the bathrooms are just right around the corner here. We'll be, I don't know if, are we still going to do the breakfast?

participantOne:(137080-148799): I haven't talked with Joseph yet. Okay, alright. So, stay tuned with other announcements. Does anybody have any announcements of things going on here in the next couple weeks?

participantOne:(148420-169820): locally. The Cornhole Tournament that's happening out at Lumen Christi later this afternoon. So everyone's, it's no entrance fee, it's a great time. This is the third year of doing the Cornhole Tournament. It raises funds for the charitable acts of St. Mary's Council, but it has, this is the third year. Each year it's growing with...

participantOne:(169680-195600): men just gathering being together some of them nights some of them not nights it's hosted over at looming Christy the tournament actually starts at 1 o'clock it goes for a couple hours there's great people good food and some homebrew beers compliments of Joe Union thank you gentlemen yeah Martin Shaw you want to finish with the rest of your now a couple of

participantOne:(196100-210880): public service announcements, PSAs, I think. I only have 12, so I'll get through them quickly. Just kidding, just kidding, only two. We're not surprised. So the first is you'll notice that there's a big elephant in the room missing.

participantOne:(210560-237940): Not an elephant per se, but Joseph Gruber is not with us. But for a very special reason, some of you may have heard, but Wednesday morning, he and Crystal were blessed with another son known as Harold Bruce Gruber, born at Wednesday at 1.15 a.m. So Crystal and baby are doing well, so he's home taking care of the family and the baby and the new child and Crystal. So he won't be with us. He should be. He should be.

participantOne:(237560-266960): Another reminder, as you know, Greater Jackson area is blessed with the penance services we do in a bit larger format. So keep in mind if you haven't met already, this coming Monday is St. Rita's. They have the communal penance service. Wednesday is at Queens. Thursday is St. John's. And next Saturday here is St. Mary's.

participantOne:(269600-294480): Okay. Brian always has something very valuable and interesting to offer, so I never want to miss Brandon's additions. As we continue through our sacred season of Lent and strengthening our Christian discipleship, we are reminded of the three great pillars of spiritual renewal, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. That's what we'll be focusing on this month.

participantOne:(294880-318580): Today we are blessed to welcome a special guest who will speak to us about the importance and beauty of almsgiving, a practice rooted deeply in scripture, in our church tradition, and in the mission of Christian charity. Our speaker today is a dedicated member of St. Mary's parish and is committed to the virtues of faith, charity, and service. I can attest to that. I'm also blessed to be able to call him a friend.

participantOne:(318840-356120): He's a quiet, humble man, yet with the proud demeanor of a lion. Many do not know that he has served our country as a Marine. Please join me in welcoming Brian Fetzer, who will share with us a reflection on how we are called to give, not just from our abundance, but from our heart. Brian. Well, that had all the spiritual misgivings of a change of command, in my opinion. I won't keep this too long, because we all know how much we love the

participantOne:(356400-381820): to give money away. First of all, as Mark had mentioned earlier and Joey told me during the week, during Lent, almsgiving is something that most people understand to the original definition, but they don't really get why or the meaning inside as far as what purpose it serves in God's plan.

participantOne:(382960-411940): So, a little bit about myself. My name is Brian Fetzer. In the 60s and 70s, for those of you who were around, I was a member of St. John's Church. We used to play guitar mass on Sunday. I went to Lumen Christi, and about three and a half years ago, I came back to Jackson and joined St. Mary's, mostly because of my wife, when she had a conversion experience. For the 35 years in between that time, I was in the military and other places, and that's another story which you'll have.

participantOne:(412180-444660): to learn about some other time but if you want to know more about us and almsgiving as mark said we have crecio which i'm a part of during the time we also have the latin mass for those who have never been to one that is actually a throwback in time but also very pertinent to almsgiving fish fry which is more of a community house outreach that most people don't even understand

participantOne:(444960-476060): They don't even have them in some Catholic parishes anymore. And of course your annual Latin nightly class where it is endowed with all the women of our lives who let us know often and foregoing how much to give and when to give. So, in lieu of that, let's go to the definition. The definition according to the Greeks, Ili bon sine. Did I get that right, Father? Sure. Thank you. Which means pity, mercy, and compassion.

participantOne:(476640-513220): Okay, where's the money in that? We go to the secular definition, and you have donating money as an act of charity. Each major religion has their own view of that almsgiving. The Islams, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and even Catholicism. It always revolves around the gifts and the blessings restored around what you give. Catholicism brings up almsgiving in lieu of the poor and the needy. But who are the poor and the needy?

participantOne:(516659-553280): The Catechism says giving alms to the poor is a witness to the fraternal charity. It's also a work of justice pleasing to God. I have a question for you. What commandment is almsgiving under? Take a guess. You've got ten choices. Mark. I know because he told me yesterday. I'll keep it. You guys want to take a guess. Yeah, somebody else, please. To love your neighbor as yourself. Is that a commandment? Okay, it's one of two. Yeah.

participantOne:(553760-586120): How about of the ten? Which one does it fall under? I know. Where in the Bible does it say, thou shalt give alms? Okay, I'm going to let you know. This is a one-time only, no test. Don't tell your wives, please. It falls under the seventh commandment. Thou shalt not steal. Why? I was surprised. Catechism 2402. Am I paraphrasing? Please read it at your own convenience.

participantOne:(586540-623820): Genesis reads, "...the universal destination of goods with respect to God's gifts, the earth, to man, our stewardship of the earth, for mankind, fraternal charity." Genesis reads, "...universal destination of goods, all the resources that God provides on this earth for man, with respect to God's gift, this earth, and man's stewardship, you shall be stewards of these resources."

participantOne:(624620-672460): for mankind, fraternal charity. Now the Catholic view, as they brought down through their doctrine and canon law and through all of the fathers of the church, they define the poor as those in need of charity, those in need of social justice, the dignity, the spiritual growth, detachment from earthly things, and sacrifice. They define the needy in the acts of corporal mercy. For those who don't know, the acts of corporal mercy instruct, advise,

participantOne:(672660-714160): provide food, provide clothing, visit the sick, and bury the dead. Now man's view on the other hand, myself included, most times, especially in the service, it's going to cost me money, it's going to take my time, and most of all, it's a zero-sum game and I'm going to lose sleep. So why give? Back to the catechism since they've always been a great teacher. Man's goods are a steward of providence.

participantOne:(714439-753500): the fruits of his labor, to benefit his family and his friends and others, God became poor for us to give. He emptied himself in order that we could be filled. Back in the 400s, there was a Saint John Chrysostom, he was the Archbishop of Cancun, and Opo, modern-day Turkey, Istanbul, around the 400s. He said, not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them,

participantOne:(753880-791600): and deprive them of life. I always thought that meant the money aspect, but it actually means myself and all of us here, those who are poor in other respects, because obviously you're not taking the money with you, so we're obviously feeding the poor in a spiritual sense as well as a monetary and material sense. The taking and using of another's property, God's property, unjustly for yourself,

participantOne:(791959-830100): is contrary to God's plan, therefore in lieu of the seventh commandment. 1 Corinthians 6-10 says, Neither thief nor greedy nor robber will inherit the kingdom of God. So now what do we do? We're all guilty of stealing from God. So much for taking pens from the office. So now what do we do? In the Bible, they used to have what was called the Jubilee Year. It was every 25 years.

participantOne:(831600-870140): Coincidentally, we're in a Jubilee year right now. So the Catholic Church also has a Jubilee year. During that time, they used to forgive people's debt, monetary debt, grudges against brothers. They also used to give alms. They also gave their labor equivalent, and they would leave proceeds in their farmlands and in their fields for orphans, widows, and those who are less. It almost was a reset, and thereby nobody

participantOne:(870680-899860): In mankind, at least in the Jewish community, was left unaided without fraternal charity. In that giving, we steal from the Lord's gifts. Practice of justice, charity, and stewardship of mankind. Now, justice used to be a tough one for me because as a commander, I used to have to deliberate justice. And it usually was in accordance with...

participantOne:(900339-934620): the disposition of the person, or the act, or the circumstances. It was almost like the conditions of sin. Was it intentional? Was it forethought? And did you give consent? And in lieu of that, you usually were trying to find out what was best for the person and the needs of that person. But if you didn't know that person, you may have given him a verdict of guilty. This is what the law says. This is where you're going. If that's the case, then we're all in pretty bad shape. But in lieu of that...

participantOne:(935000-971800): The need which God is intervening with is what is good for you. How I'm providing for your needs through this. Now I'll give you some examples. My wife was happy enough to go over my outline last night. We all know the... It's not a parable, it was a story in the Bible. We're there at the treasury of the temple in Jerusalem. And there's a widow there. And she's giving the last of all she has, right? I believe...

participantOne:(972079-1006280): She gave the last word with her head because her husband was already dead. He had no protestors. But the real reason is women feel in their hearts, and so they give of their hearts. Men feel with their heads because they're wired to provide. Money is a tool and a means of security that provides for their family and their means of survival in life.

participantOne:(1007699-1041940): So I believe God put us both together so we have a good mix of the two. Otherwise you don't live on one extreme and you're not on the extreme side of poverty. My wife, last night, I love my wife, but she changed the commandment for alms. Instead of the seventh commandment, she went on to the one, thou shall not lie. And I said, how did you get lying from alms?

participantOne:(1043520-1074500): It's that parable, that parable in Acts. And I go, first of all, Acts was the apostles, and the parable was given by Jesus. That was my first mistake. I corrected that. Chapter 5, Peter takes over the church. Everyone's giving of their goods and dedicating them to the apostles for the ministry. Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold their house, all their belongings, later before Peter. And Peter...

participantOne:(1075320-1110080): said Ananias why have you lied to the Holy Spirit? Like what you did not give The entire amount and in lieu of that you could have kept part of the amount The fact was that you said it was the entire amount therefore as my wife put it you lie She forgot to mention later on Safran showed up and asked if this was the total amount and she said yes And she died so now

participantOne:(1110500-1148300): We're not only guilty of stealing from God, we're guilty of lying. Who can be saved, right? Well, good news is, God has a plan for your arms. And it's not just your monetary arms. The last example I have is with my own parents' marriage. My mother was a Catholic. My dad didn't have any religion. But, back in the day, the 60s in this case, you had to go to the church and the priest had to give you a dispensation if you married a non-Catholic.

participantOne:(1148720-1180400): Part of that dispensation was you will raise your children Catholic and you will provide for them in the Catholic means Of course my dad was 21 and said, Dad, no problem. Woohoo! I had no religion. First thing that came up, they're going to church every Sunday. And by the way, they're going to a Catholic church. I mean a Catholic school. I think at the time it was St. John's. Dad gets his first property tax bill. He looks down on it and goes, Jackson Public Schools? Intermediate School District? J-A?

participantOne:(1181139-1215340): But why am I paying twice for school? And then it came to a greater amount than the property. But maybe not now. But back then, the property tax for Jackson Public Schools was cheaper than tuition. All right. So he had a real problem with that. He didn't know why he had to give money for something that the government already provided. So my mom just said, well, why don't you volunteer? And he was like, I already gave my money.

participantOne:(1215920-1250760): So after we graduated from high school, and we all left the house, he began to understand that, oh, there was a benefit going to Catholic school. My kids didn't turn out like a lot of the kids I saw. Oh, now they have kids of their own, and they got transferred to another generation. Finally, when they retired and moved down to Florida, and my mom was going to church by herself, my dad started showing up, because he was a computer science

participantOne:(1251020-1298160): operations manager for Seal Power in Kenmore back in the day. But this was just when the churches were starting to televise the Mass and putting it on. So he took over the ITV section of that church. And every Sunday, even though he didn't receive communion, still was not Catholic, he went ahead and set up their program. When he died a few years later of throat cancer, the Catholic Church gave him a Mass and buried him as a friend of the church. So,

participantOne:(1298720-1334360): What can we do as men at CORE? I put together another discussion acronym. I hope it'll bear witness for people in their own experiences as they've gone through their children and their lives of giving alms. The acronym is ALMS. A-L-M-S. A, arms, our strength, fruits of our labor, the work, what we provide for those that we love and those we don't love. L, being the living example through your corporal works of mercy.

participantOne:(1334860-1370060): which if you don't remember, you can look them back up. I said them earlier in the course. And of course, M, money. Don't look at money as being a zero-sum game. If I have $100 and I give $50 to the church, I only have $50. Do what God advises. You plant the seed, which must die. That money must die in order to be multiplied. You bring the five loaves and the two fish. God will do the multiplying. And then S, service. Giving of yourself.

participantOne:(1370460-1402920): The charity and the social justice, the spiritual growth, and the detachment from all your earthly things will provide the means for God to touch you. And that's the conclusion I have. God doesn't want you 10%. He wants your stewardship and charity to bring His will and fulfillment into you. And by your detachment and sacrifice, you unite yourself with Him and is what brings you into His plan.

participantOne:(1413080-1436200): Did you film it? Huh? What? Did you film it? No, it was not even recorded. Oh. Thank you very much, Brian. A lot to think about. So today we're going to go to the small group discussion. I should get your coffee and bathroom break. Small group discussion. But we're going to – are you pointing at me or something?